The present invention relates to browsing data using a data browser and more particularly pertains to facilitating the navigation of application specific data with a data browser using a plurality of links.
In the past, instructional databases have been commonly used to provide users with a plethora of information. Such information may be used to execute various tasks or enable the users to accomplish a goal. Often, such instructional databases may be stored on a centralized server and provide access to a plurality of client computers via a network. In some instances, such network is the Internet in which case the database is accessed via a web site.
Such prior art instructional databases, however, often utilize a conventional hypertext system which makes it particularly difficult to navigate the information in a progression that the original designers intended without sacrificing the ability of the user to freely navigate the information. Further, none of such prior art instructional databases allow an effective exchange of ideas in order to achieve a goal at hand.
Still yet another feature that the prior art instructional databases lack is the ability to track a progression of an effort to achieve an intended goal. Finally, the prior art instructional databases have never been used to facilitate a merger and acquisition situation.
A method for facilitating the navigation of application specific data on a data page, i.e. web page, during use of a data browser, i.e. Netscape(trademark), MS Explorer(trademark), etc. Included on the data page are a plurality of links each corresponding to data. In use, the data may be retrieved upon selection of the corresponding link. To facilitate the navigation of the data, the links are displayed each as a component of an indicia such as a pointer or chevron to imply a relationship between the data.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned relationship is a progressional relationship and the indicia implies a direction of progressional movement through the data. In order to imply direction, the indicia may take the form of a chevron or any other type of pointer that implies direction. As an option, each of the components of indicia may also be shaped as a chevron.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention, a currently selected link is visually differentiated with respect to the remaining links. This may be accomplished by highlighting a currently selected link. Further, the links may be continuously displayed with the data in order to continuously imply the progressional relationship and a current location among the data.